Public election funding payments for the 2016 ACT Legislative Assembly election announced

Published 23 Nov 2016

“Four registered political parties and one non-party candidate have been paid public election funding following the 15 October 2016 ACT election,” the Acting Electoral Commissioner, Mr Ro Spence, said today.

A registered political party is eligible to receive election funding for the votes obtained by its endorsed candidates who together polled at least 4% of the total number of formal first preference votes cast in an electorate.

A non-party candidate is eligible to receive election funding if he or she polls at least 4% of the total number of formal first preference votes cast in the relevant electorate.

“ACT Labor, the Canberra Liberals and the ACT Greens all reached the 4% threshold in each of the five electorates” Mr Spence continued, “with the Australian Sex Party ACT also reaching the threshold in Brindabella and Mr Kim Huynh, a non-party candidate, achieving the required votes in the electorate of Ginninderra.”

“For the 15 October 2016 election the rate of public election funding was calculated at $8.00 per eligible vote,” Mr Spence said. “Public funding payments totalled $1,716,784.00 across the four parties and the one non-party candidate.”

“No party or candidate is obliged to accept public funding,” Mr Spence said.